Clothing and Clothing Accessories with Simulated Tire Tracks

ABSTRACT

A fabric article comprised of: a limp flexible fabric having at least one simulated vehicle tire track disposed thereon, in which the fabric article is used to make a clothing or a clothing accessory. In one embodiment, the clothing or clothing accessory further includes a company logo positioned thereon and the simulated vehicle tire track(s) coordinate with the company logo.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates generally to the field of clothing, and in particular to clothing and accessories that has a simulated appearance of having been run over by a car, truck, motorcycle, tractor, bicycle, cart, skateboard, or similar devices.

BACKGROUND

The clothing and clothing accessories industry generates more than $200 billion in the US alone and is expected to exceed a quarter of a trillion dollars by 2008. Denim and denim jeans are one example, and the popularity of denim fabrics among consumers of all ages has been well documented by sales in a large number of countries throughout the world.

Since the 1930's, jeans have transcended their conventional status as workmen's clothing and have now become fashionable clothing worn by just about everyone. In recent years the fashion industry has embraced the look of distressed, faded, and tattered looking clothing. However, it is well known that brand new jeans take months of wearing and washing before they become faded and well-worn.

Several major fashion designers are now taking new clothes and making them look old and worn out, i.e., creating “distressed” clothing. To meet this demand for worn out or distressed clothing, designers have been marketing “faded,” “stonewashed,” “acid washed,” “enzyme washed,” and “crushed” jeans as popular clothing items. In order to create the distressed clothing, jean manufacturers have in the past employed various combinations of physical and chemical processes, including sanding with sandpaper, washing with pieces of pumice stone, and using bleaching agents and enzymes to “biopolish” and create a “stonewashed” look. However, there is a demand in the market for even more distressed looking clothing, beyond the tattered and worn out look. For example, some in the fashion industry have experimented with jeans that feature mock bullet holes and shot-gun blasts.

The present invention treats jeans, other clothing, and related clothing accessories to appear as if they have been run over by one or more tires, resulting in the clothing and clothing accessory having simulated tire tracks on the clothing.

As used herein, the term “clothing” shall refer to short sleeved shirts, long sleeved shirts, t-shirts, hooded shirts, sweaters, sweat shirts, jeans, pants, sweat pants, jackets, coats, uniforms, rain gear, vests, outerwear, tank tops, robes, under garments, neckties, suspenders, socks, shoes, boots, skippers, sandals, scarves, jerseys and athletic uniforms, gloves, mittens, stockings, pajamas, night shirts, skirts, belts, caps, hats, baseball caps, visors, head bands and sweatbands, ear muffs, bandanas, bibs, and any other covering designed to be worn on a person's body.

As used herein, the term “accessory” shall refer to bags, duffle bags, purses, totes, blankets, towels, canes, umbrellas, glasses, and any other related or similar item.

As used herein, the term “fabric article” shall refer to clothing and clothing accessories collectively.

The term “vehicle,”, as used herein, shall refer to a car, truck, motorcycle, lawn tractor, farm tractor, bicycle, tricycle, all terrain vehicle (three- or four-wheeler), golf cart, shopping cart, lawn mower, and tank, as well as a skateboard, roller skate, baby buggy, baby stroller, bull dozer, or any other similar apparatus capable of conveyance that transports people or objects and moving on wheels, runners, tracks, or the like.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of one exemplary embodiment of fabric article, i.e., a t-shirt, having simulated tire tracks disposed thereon.

FIG. 2 is a front view of another exemplary embodiment of fabric article, i.e., jeans, having simulated tire tracks disposed thereon.

FIG. 3 is a front view of another exemplary embodiment of fabric article, i.e., a baseball cap, having simulated tire tracks disposed thereon.

FIG. 4 is a front view of one exemplary embodiment of a fabric article, i.e., a duffle bag, having simulated tire tracks disposed thereon.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the present invention, references are made in the text hereof to embodiments of fabric articles having simulated tire tracks and a method of making same, only some of which are depicted in the figures. It should nevertheless be understood that no limitations on the scope of the invention are thereby intended. One of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that modifications such as the dimensions, size, and shape of the fabric article, alternate materials from which the fabric article is made, and the inclusion of additional aesthetic elements are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the written description do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Some of these possible modifications are mentioned in the following description. Therefore, specific details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one of ordinary skill in the art to employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed apparatus or manner.

It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. In addition, in the embodiments depicted herein, like reference numerals in the various drawings refer to identical or near identical structural elements.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 is a front view of one exemplary embodiment of fabric article 100 having simulated tire tracks 110 disposed thereon. Fabric article 100, in the embodiment shown, is a t-shirt, but could alternately be another garment worn on the torso or any other article of clothing. As shown, tire tracks 110 are ordinary car tire tracks. However, tire tracks 110 can alternately simulate any vehicle, including but not limited to a truck, motorcycle, lawn tractor, farm tractor, bicycle, tricycle, all terrain vehicle (three- or four-wheeler), golf cart, shopping cart, lawn mower, and tank, as well as a skateboard, roller skate, baby buggy, baby stroller, or any other similar apparatus capable of conveyance that transports people or objects and moving on wheels, runners, tracks, or the like. Tire tracks 110 can be on the front of fabric article 100 (as shown), on the back of fabric article 100, or both. Tire tracks 110 can be in any direction, including starting on the front and continuing on the back of fabric article 100. Moreover, multiple tire tracks 120 can be included on fabric article 100.

In the embodiment shown, tire tracks 110 are from any generic tire. However, tire tracks 110 can also simulate a specific tread. For example, for some companies related to vehicles, tire tracks 110 can simulate a John Deere® tractor, a Firestone® tire, or a Harley-Davidson® motorcycle tire. Furthermore, tire tracks 110 can be added to fabric article 100 that has company logo 115 on it. For example, a generic or specific motorcycle tire track can be included on a Harley-Davidson® t-shirt, a tractor tire track can be included on a t-shirt having a John Deere® logo or a Caterpillar® logo on it, or any other distinctive tread pattern related to the company whose logo 115 is on the t-shirt. It should also be understood that logo 115 can be a small portion of fabric article 100 or can be a large graphic, and can be on the front or back of fabric article 100.

FIG. 2 is a front view of another exemplary embodiment of fabric article 100 having simulated tire tracks 110 disposed thereon. In the embodiment shown, fabric article 100 is a pair of jeans and there are two (2) simulated tire tracks 110, 110′ on fabric article 100. As provided supra, tire tracks 110, 110′ can be generic tire tracks 110, 110′, i.e., not simulating any specific tread pattern, or replicate a specific tread pattern, can simulate any vehicle as defined supra, can be on the front of fabric article 100 (as shown), on the back of fabric article 100, or both, can be in any direction, including starting on the front and continuing on the back of fabric article 100, and can be coordinated with a specific company's distinctive tire type or tread pattern.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 combinet, it should also be understood that outfits, combining tops and bottoms, can be coordinated such that tire tracks 110 can align between the top and bottom, appearing as if one or more (1) tire tracks 110 was made on the top and bottom together.

FIG. 3 is a front view of another exemplary embodiment of fabric article 100 having simulated tire tracks disposed thereon. In the embodiment shown, fabric article 100 is a baseball cap. In one (1) particular embodiment, logo 115 is a NASCAR® logo or the name, number, or sponsor of a specific car. As can be appreciated, tire tracks 110 can be positioned on any part of baseball cap. Thus, the reader should understand that tire tracks 110 can be on any fabric article or clothing-like material, as defined supra, or can be emplaced on any material that can be made into a fabric article. Other examples include tank tracks on a tank top, golf cart tracks on a golf shirt, and bicycle tracks on bicycle pants.

FIG. 4 is a front view of one exemplary embodiment of fabric article 200 having simulated tire tracks 110 disposed thereon. Specifically, in the embodiment shown, fabric article 200 is a duffle bag. As can be seen fabric article 200 has tire tracks 110 on body 201 and handle 202. As with the embodiments of fabric article shown in FIGS. 1-3, tire tracks 110 can be on any portion of fabric article 200, can coordinate with other of fabric article 200, and can include a logo (not shown) and coordinate tire tracks 110 with the logo.

The fabric article can be made of any material. For example, the t-shirt shown in FIG. 1 is made of a cotton-polyester blend, the pants shown in FIG. 2 are made of denim, the cap shown in FIG. 3 is made of cotton, and the duffle bag shown in FIG. 4 is made of leather, as just four (4) examples. Other materials from which the fabric article can be made include: cloth (including cotton, flax, wool, hemp, ramie, silk, lyocell), synthetic fibers (including polyester and nylon), down, fur, paper, jute, rubber, PVC, bamboo, soy, and any other material that can be made into a fabric article, and combinations thereof.

The fabric articles with simulated tire tracks in accordance with the present invention can be made in several ways. For example, the fabric article or fabric from which the fabric article is to be made can be actually driven over by a vehicle that has paint or another material disposed on its tires. In addition, the tire tracks can be simulated and imparted on to the fabric article by screen printing. The screen printing can be imparted directly on the fabric article or can be imparted on to the fabric and the fabric used to make the fabric article. Moreover, the simulated tire track can be actual size or can be larger or smaller, depending on the particular fabric article.

While the fabric articles with simulated tire tracks have been shown and described with respect to several embodiments and materials in accordance with the present invention, it is to be understood that the same is not limited thereto, but is susceptible to numerous changes and modifications as known to a person of ordinary skill in the art, and it is intended that the present invention not be limited to the details shown and described herein, but rather cover all such changes and modifications obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art. 

1. A fabric article comprised of: a limp flexible fabric having at least one simulated vehicle tire track disposed thereon; wherein said fabric article is used to make a clothing or a clothing accessory.
 2. The fabric article of claim 1, wherein said clothing is selected from a group consisting of a short sleeved shirt, a long sleeved shirt, a t-shirt, a hooded shirt, a sweater, a sweat shirt, jeans, pants, sweat pants, a jacket, a coat, a uniform, rain gear, a vest, outerwear, a tank top, a robe, an under garment, a necktie, suspenders, socks, shoes, boots, skippers, sandals, a scarf, a jersey, an athletic uniform, gloves, mittens, stockings, pajamas, a night shirt, a skirt, a belt, a cap, a baseball cap, a hat, a visor, a head band, a sweatband, ear muffs, bandanas, and bibs.
 3. The fabric article of claim 1, wherein said clothing accessory is selected from a group consisting of a bag, a duffle bag, a purse, a tote, a blanket, a towel, a cane, an umbrella, and glasses.
 4. The fabric article of claim 1, wherein said vehicle is selected from a group consisting of a car, a truck, a motorcycle, a lawn tractor, a farm tractor, a bicycle, a tricycle, an all terrain vehicle, a golf cart, a shopping cart, a lawn mower, a tank, a skateboard, a roller skate, a baby buggy, a baby stroller, and a bull dozer.
 5. The fabric article of claim 1, wherein said fabric is selected from a group consisting of a cotton-polyester blend, denim, cotton, flax, wool, hemp, ramie, silk, lyocell, polyester, nylon, down, fur, paper, jute, rubber, PVC, bamboo, and soy.
 6. The fabric article of claim 1, wherein said fabric article further includes a logo disposed thereon, said simulated vehicle tire track being coordinated with said logo.
 7. The fabric article of claim 1 wherein said at least one simulated vehicle tire track is life size, smaller than life size, or larger than life size.
 8. An article of clothing or clothing accessory comprised of: at least one decorative pattern disposed on said article of clothing or clothing accessory, said decorative pattern simulating a tire track from a vehicle.
 9. The article of clothing or clothing accessory of claim 8, wherein said clothing is selected from a group consisting of a short sleeved shirt, a long sleeved shirt, a t-shirt, a hooded shirt, a sweater, a sweat shirt, jeans, pants, sweat pants, a jacket, a coat, a uniform, rain gear, a vest, outerwear, a tank top, a robe, an under garment, a necktie, suspenders, socks, shoes, boots, skippers, sandals, a scarf, a jersey, an athletic uniform, gloves, mittens, stockings, pajamas, a night shirt, a skirt, a belt, a cap, a baseball cap, a hat, a visor, a head band, a sweatband, ear muffs, bandanas, and bibs.
 10. The article of clothing or clothing accessory of claim 8, wherein said clothing accessory is selected from a group consisting of a bag, a duffle bag, a purse, a tote, a blanket, a towel, a cane, an umbrella, and glasses.
 11. The article of clothing or clothing accessory of claim 8, wherein said vehicle is selected from a group consisting of a car, a truck, a motorcycle, a lawn tractor, a farm tractor, a bicycle, a tricycle, an all terrain vehicle, a golf cart, a shopping cart, a lawn mower, a tank, a skateboard, a roller skate, a baby buggy, a baby stroller, and a bull dozer.
 12. The article of clothing or clothing accessory of claim 8, wherein said article of clothing or clothing accessory is made of a fabric selected from a group consisting of a cotton-polyester blend, denim, cotton, flax, wool, hemp, ramie, silk, lyocell, polyester, nylon, down, fur, paper, jute, rubber, PVC, bamboo, and soy.
 13. The article of clothing or clothing accessory of claim 8, wherein said article of clothing or clothing accessory further includes a logo disposed thereon, said at least one tire track from said vehicle being coordinated with said logo.
 14. The fabric article of claim 1, wherein said at least one tire track from said vehicle is life size, smaller than life size, or larger than life size.
 15. A fabric article comprised of: a limp flexible fabric having at least one simulated vehicle tire track disposed thereon, wherein said fabric article is used to make a clothing or a clothing accessory; and at least one company logo disposed on said fabric, said simulated vehicle tire track being coordinated with said at least one company logo.
 16. The fabric article of claim 15, wherein said clothing is selected from a group consisting of a short sleeved shirt, a long sleeved shirt, a t-shirt, a hooded shirt, a sweater, a sweat shirt, jeans, pants, sweat pants, a jacket, a coat, a uniform, rain gear, a vest, outerwear, a tank top, a robe, an under garment, a necktie, suspenders, socks, shoes, boots, skippers, sandals, a scarf, a jersey, an athletic uniform, gloves, mittens, stockings, pajamas, a night shirt, a skirt, a belt, a cap, a baseball cap, a hat, a visor, a head band, a sweatband, ear muffs, bandanas, and bibs.
 17. The fabric article of claim 15, wherein said clothing accessory is selected from a group consisting of a bag, a duffle bag, a purse, a tote, a blanket, a towel, a cane, an umbrella, and glasses.
 18. The fabric article of claim 15, wherein said vehicle is selected from a group consisting of a car, a truck, a motorcycle, a lawn tractor, a farm tractor, a bicycle, a tricycle, an all terrain vehicle, a golf cart, a shopping cart, a lawn mower, a tank, a skateboard, a roller skate, a baby buggy, a baby stroller, and a bull dozer.
 19. The fabric article of claim 15, wherein said fabric is selected from a group consisting of a cotton-polyester blend, denim, cotton, flax, wool, hemp, ramie, silk, lyocell, polyester, nylon, down, fur, paper, jute, rubber, PVC, bamboo, and soy.
 20. The fabric article of claim 15, wherein said at least one simulated vehicle tire track is life size, smaller than life size, or larger than life size. 